Punt stadium? Some say no

Officials defend crews' efforts to maintain 38-year-old facility

They were side by side at halftime during the Chargers' season opener yesterday at Qualcomm Stadium, but it was clear that Jorge Martin del Campo and John Lester were having very different experiences.

The stadium's sound system "is the worst I've ever heard," said Martin del Campo, 25, of La Mesa. "It's really dirty. There's gum everywhere. It's just very old. I'm a season-ticket holder. I'm paying $17 to park. Last year it was $10."

Disagreeing, Lester, 66, said the 38-year-old stadium was structurally sound, well-maintained and functioning as well as ever.

"I've had a season ticket since 1968," said Lester, a retired teacher from Tierrasanta. "I don't find any problem with it. The chairs are comfortable. They have adequate (refreshment) stands."

The pair were among the thousands who attended yesterday's sold-out contest between the Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys. As they watched their team lose 28-24, many fans were aware of recent complaints coming from the team about the stadium's maintenance.

The Chargers took the field there for the first time in 1967. Although it has remained their home through name changes and structural renovations, the relationship between the team and stadium management is showing signs of strain.

Last week, Chargers Chief Operating Officer Jim Steeg cited hundreds of complaints from fans about a general lack of cleanliness. In a meeting with the stadium's advisory board, Steeg said ongoing city budget problems were no excuse for weeds, dirty benches, broken television sets and "filth."

"I think what we have is a 40-year-old stadium with a lot of deferred maintenance," Steeg said after the meeting. "I am worried about the fact that we are going to have 700,000 customers coming through there this year."

On Friday, the Chargers organization declined to share any letters of complaint from fans about the stadium, saying it needed to secure permission from the authors.

Stadium manager Bill Wilson, who is preparing to retire, defended his staff. Wilson said full-time employee ranks had been cut from 50 to 21 since the Padres left for Petco Park in 2004. Problems that surfaced during preseason NFL games are being addressed, he said.

"I am proud of our people," Wilson said. "They bust their butts to do the best they can. The public is pretty pleased with the facility. This place has been here almost 40 years. It's old. There are problems. We don't deny that. When you sit vacant for six months, TVs are not going to work and it is going to be dirty."

About 30 televisions were replaced recently throughout the stadium, said Steve Wightman, turf manager and building maintenance supervisor. During a Friday walk through the cavernous venue, Wightman and custodial supervisor Leon Hawkins watched as work crews busily scrubbed floors and swept aisles. Hawkins said he hadn't heard of any fan complaints about cleanliness.

"I am the one who gets the calls," he said.

The stadium is showing signs of wear, he acknowledged. Some of the white walls along interior corridors bear the marks of heavy use and need to be repainted. Dust constantly must be removed, he said.

The stadium infrastructure, which includes wiring and plumbing, is fully functional, Wightman said.

"It's structurally sound," he said while looking up at the stands from the center of the football field. "It's safe."

Steeg's criticism comes as the team prepares to ask San Diego voters to approve a plan for an urban-village development at the stadium site. The plan is structured to enable the team to recoup the costs of building a $450 million stadium as part of the project.

In November 2006, city of San Diego voters will be asked to approve giving the Chargers 60 acres at the 166-acre stadium site. The team and a development partner then would build more than 6,000 housing units, offices, retail shops, a hotel, a 30-acre park and a 4,000-space parking garage.

The plan calls for profits from the development to pay for up to $175 million in street, road and other public improvements for the new sports facility.

Before kickoff yesterday, Michael Nash, 26, of San Diego expressed anger over the age and condition the stadium. He complained about crowded restrooms and a shortage of food concessions.

"It's too old," Nash said loudly. "It's way too old."

Sitting high in the View section, John Brock, 25, said he was enjoying the game and the ambience of the stadium. He drives from Mission Viejo for games. "I think the building is great," he said. "I don't think there's any problem."

On the Plaza level, friends Shavell Robinson, 27, and Wanese Stancio, 34, were arguing about the stadium's appearance.

"It's old and raggedy," said Robinson, a nurse from Eastlake. "The stadium looks horrible."

Stancio said complaints about maintenance stem from the drive to replace the facility.

"I don't think the Chargers deserve a new stadium," said Stancio, also of Eastlake. "This stadium is enough. It's OK to me."

Some fans expressed concern about this season's increased parking costs. The general parking price rose to $17 from $10.

"That price is comparable or below prices at Padres games and is still below the NFL average," said Bill Johnston, the Chargers director of public relations.

In Pasadena, Darryl Dunn, general manager of the Rose Bowl, says he understands the Chargers' desire for a new stadium. Dunn said it is based on the basic design of Qualcomm Stadium rather than maintenance issues.

"The stadiums in the NFL are designed to be state of the art," Dunn said. "The ability to generate revenue will ultimately determine the ability to go out and find players. Stadiums these days are very different than the stadiums of yesteryear."

Built in 1922, the 92,500-seat Rose Bowl "is not physically capable of being considered satisfactory for an NFL stadium," he said. "If you compare Qualcomm (Stadium) to other NFL stadiums around the nation, it would fall short in terms of the quality of (luxury) suites, the quality of premium seats, the quality of the experience for the general fan."

Replacing an aging stadium isn't easy, even when everyone agrees it's the right thing to do. In San Francisco, Monster Park, formerly known as Candlestick Park, is suffering badly from age and deferred maintenance, parks and recreation department spokeswoman Rose Dennis team. Even so, the city's civic and political leaders have been unable to unite behind a plan to build a new home for the 49ers football team, Dennis said.

At Qualcomm Stadium, Tim Hallisay, a 31-year-old salesman from Ocean Beach, said he had mixed feelings about the condition of the San Diego facility and the drive to replace it.

"I go both ways," Hallisay said. "I suppose we all have an emotional connection. In a way it's refreshing to have the Chargers still here. It's a memorable place."

CRISSY PASCUAL / Union-Tribune
Michael Nash, 26, of San Diego said Qualcomm Stadium "is way too old." Team officials last week said complaints they had received from hundreds of fans cited a general lack of cleanliness.

CRISSY PASCUAL / Union-Tribune
Michael Nash, 26, of San Diego said Qualcomm Stadium "is way too old." Team officials last week said complaints they had received from hundreds of fans cited a general lack of cleanliness.